In vitro and in vivo superior radiosensitizing effect of berbamine for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

BackgroundBerbamine (BBM), one of the bis-benzylisoquinoline products isolated from Berberis amurensis, has been demonstrated for its anticancer effect against leukemia, breast cancer, liver cancer, etc. There are some studies focusing on the chemosensitization effect of BBM. However, there is no report about whether BBM could enhance the anticancer effect of radiation, which made us to explore the possible radiosensitization effect of BBM.Materials and methodsHere, in vitro cytotoxicity of BBM was evaluated on two kinds of head and neck squamous cancer cell lines. Clonogenic assay was performed to study the radiosensitization effect of BBM. Western blot was utilized to elucidate the possible mechanism underlying the radiosensitization effect.ResultsBBM effectively inhibited the growth of two kinds of cancer cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Radiation plus BBM led to significantly more reduction of the colony-forming ability of cancer cells when compared with radiation alone. BBM plus radiation led to the most reduction of STAT3 phosphorylation, followed by the significant decrease of the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. In vivo study demonstrated that the combinational administration of BBM and radiation generated the most significant tumor-delaying effect among all of the treatment regimens.ConclusionWe reported, in the current study, the potential role of BBM in not only treating cancer by itself but also offering a promising way to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy by inhibiting the activation of STAT3 and subsequently inducing the apoptosis of cancer.

Berbamine Suppresses the Progression of Bladder Cancer by Modulating the ROS/NF‐κB Axis

“…Additionally, berbamine exerted antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo through apoptosis induction partially relevant to the activation of the p53 gene in colorectal cancer [ 8 ]. Moreover, berbamine enhanced the efficacy of gefitinib in pancreatic cancer cells and radiosensitivity for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting the STAT3 pathway [ 40 , 41 ]. Herein, we attempted to unambiguously investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of berbamine in bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo.…”

Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor and Ionizing Radiation in High Grade Glioma Cell Lines

“…There are many studies, both in vivo and in vitro, which show that the majority of brain tumors are resistant to ionizing radiation treatment. Fractionation used in standard radiotherapy for glioma treatment comprises a total 45–60 Gy dose, administered in 1.8–2 Gy per fraction over a 5–6 weeks interval, while the most preclinical studies use a radiation dose that does not exceed 10 Gy [12,13,14,18,19,20].…”

Proliferation, migration and invasion of triple negative breast cancer cells are suppressed by berbamine via the PI3K/Akt/MDM2/p53 and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways

“…Previous studies reported that BBM possesses biological activities including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and protective effects against ischemia/reperfusion injury ( 9 – 11 ). In addition, BBM exhibits anti-tumor activity and inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines ( 8 , 12 ). Although previous studies have demonstrated that BBM downregulates the protein levels of Bax and Bcl-2 ( 12 ), the molecular mechanism underlying its anti-tumor function is still unclear.…”

“…In addition, BBM exhibits anti-tumor activity and inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines ( 8 , 12 ). Although previous studies have demonstrated that BBM downregulates the protein levels of Bax and Bcl-2 ( 12 ), the molecular mechanism underlying its anti-tumor function is still unclear. In addition, few studies have explored the effects and mechanism of BBM in breast cancer.…”